IRAQIS REALLY CELEBRATING IN THE STREETS NOW

Reported in Karbala, where the people got together to pull down a crippled statue of Saddam, then beat it about the head and neck with the heels of their shoes.

An elderly man added in broken English: “Good, good, good — Mr W. Bush, no Saddam.”

As US troops proudly wore flowers given to them by townsfolk, a 25-year-old said he could not understand opposition to the war. He asked: “Everyone who refuses this war — why?” Pointing to the statue, he went on: “Come here and live two days with this man, and then refuse this war.”

Reported in a small town north of Nasiriya where Marines were swarmed by excited townsfolk, who then had to be put behind barriers to watch and cheer on the troops clearing remaining buildings. Celebrating and looting also reported in Basra after Chemical Ali was reportedly found dead and the Brits took over the city. Then we had a "mass capitulation" of regular Iraqi forces who gave up fighting for Saddam south of Baghdad. We also have Baghdad sealed off, and have barged downtown to set up shop temporarily in Saddam's palaces. Our guys are still in serious danger while killing off dead-enders, but it's all over now except the mopping up.

Just another day in the most brilliant war campaign in modern history. Isn't it amazing how a relatively small force lacking strategic surprise can use speed instead of mass to methodically feint, flex, juke and then concentrate to crush the enemy? In this case, even a bunkered down totalitarian regime that uses redundant fiber optic communication lines and deadly force to control a large army of war criminals and terrorists. Never underestimate the supremacy of air supremacy.

It now looks like the 4th ID will be fully ready for battle the day the shooting war is essentially over. Democrats will then start complaining that Bush wasted time and taxpayer's money by failing to anticipate that the war could easily be won even without the 4th ID. Daschle will say, "I'm saddened that the projected troop requirement overkill in this failed war plan has now forced us to eliminate the tax cut. In the spirit of Bill Clinton's leadership, we now have a good excuse to cut our Armed Forces in half again."

UPDATE: Popular uprising reportedly breaking out now in Baghdad and Basra with locals killing the Fedayeen terrorists. Saddam's soldiers in Baghdad are reported to be scrambling into civilian clothes and melting away to save themselves. Pentagon not confirming yet but, just to be safe, Democrat lawmakers in America are scrambling into their bunkers to avoid the light at the end of the tunnel about to impact their Party.

UPDATE: From Aziziyah this weekend:

Cheering Iraqis handed out soft drinks and offered cigarettes to U.S. Marines on Saturday, warmly welcoming the troops and making throat-slitting gestures at pictures of President Saddam Hussein.

...The Marines were slightly bemused by the warmth with which they were greeted in this medium-sized town but accepted the bottles of soft drinks they were offered and politely declined the cigarettes. A girl in a blue vest held out a pink flower to a passing U.S. vehicle.

...All Iraqi forces and senior officials of Saddam's Baath Party had fled the town two days previously, leaving the locals to loot and burn their offices and tear down posters of Saddam, said Sirown, 21, who was too afraid to give his family name.

Sirown said he had come to Aziziyah from Baghdad to escape the bombing of the Iraqi capital.

His friend, Ali, 27, pulled out a large bankroll, pointed at the picture of Saddam that graces each Iraqi banknote and drew his finger across his throat with a smile.